Lovegrass hybrid performances in the semiarid region of Argentina by biplot analysis.

IBAÑEZ M. A.; FARICELLI M. E.; BONAMICO N. C.; BALZARINI M. G.; DI RENZO M. A.

JOURNAL OF CROP IMPROVEMENT

The Harworth Press

Lugar: Binghamton, NY; Año: 2005 vol. 15 p. 121 - 131

1542-7528

Weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) has increased meat production in cattle-fattening systems of the central semi-arid rangeland of Argentina. New apomictic lovegrass hybrids are usually tested in multi-environment trials (MET). The objective of this paper was to investigate the relative magnitudes of the effects of genotype (G), environments (E), and genotype-by-environment interaction  (GE) in weeping lovegrass MET. Variability in forage yield and other agronomic traits was analyzed via biplot analysis of data from 19 weeping lovegrass genotypes grown at three locations of the central Argentinean crop area for two consecutive growing seasons. The proportion of GE relative G was relatively small, and season-to-season performance of hybrids and differences across locations were predictable. Genotype-by-trait biplots suggested that selection based on dry matter and panicle number could be a good strategy of indirect selection for high forage yield and seed production in lovegrass.  The analysis of environment-by-trait biplot showed the highest selection values of panicle number and dry matter in the first growing season, and the highest values of panicle length, crown diameter and leaf length in the second growing season.